Can I wire a Dashcam into interior light in our works Van(s)

[Frank Sebem]

Hi all

Our insurers have offered us a discount on our fleet policy if we have dash cams installed in our 3 vans. They haven’t recommended any brand and I am free to choose any brand of dash camI was going to buy 3 cameras for our 3 vans but before I do I want to know how to wire them. I asked a mate who is a commercial electrician if I could wire the cams direct to there respective batteries. He said “Why don’t you just wire them in to the interior lights”?
So, we have 3 vans
Iveco Daily 2004
Citroen Relay 2014
Peugeot Boxer 2018
Any advice on opinions please?

 

[Spoon]

Welcome to the forum mate.
I don't know a lot about dashcams but as long as the dashcam does not overload the circuit you are adding it to then I don't see a problem with adding it to said circuit.
Obviously the circuit would have to be one that is permanently on when you want the cam to be on.

 

[ruston]

The cigarette socket might be a better option so the there is no chance of any canbus problems. Tap into that circuit and possibly fuse it down. They do not draw much power so may be Ok on the interior light but it may depend on the set up, the canbus may see it as a fault; I am not sure about this , they can be moody.

 

[rsgaz]

The problem with any modern vehicle, it's not just a simple on off switch wired to the doors. If the interior light gradually fades out after closing the door, then it's fed via an IC which will be at close to its maximum output already with a W5W lamp. It won't be a 'permanent live' as such.

Also, I'd be surprised if you were to find an ignition switched positive at the interior lamp, unless you have, say, an auto wiper sensor or a GPS aerial nearby.

Spare slots in the fusebox is usually the best way. Look in the manual for a fuse number for something your vehicle doesn't have, say, heated seats and probe the fuse slot to see if it is a switched positive feed. They often just use the same main loom for every model spec, regardless of what features it has, so empty slots might still be wired up.

For the negative, just connect it to any nearby/convenient ground on the vehicle's body, you're bound to see one when you start peeling of the interior plastic panels to run the wires. Don't splice into an existing negative wire.